ROGERSVILLE, Ala — Joe Wheeler State Park will temporarily re-open Campground Section A on Friday, May 22, about six months after a tornado severely damaged the area in December 2019.
Campground A features 43 full hook-up sites for recreational vehicles, and reservations – by phone and online – can be made beginning Monday, May 11. In addition, a new 8-mile trail for hiking and mountain biking is also now open.
“We are so pleased that Joe Wheeler State Park can offer a partial re-opening of our campground,” said Chad Davis, District Superintendent of Northwest Alabama State Parks. “Recovering from the tornado hasn’t been an easy task, and we still have work to do, but we’re very pleased that the relatively unscathed portion of the campground will be available for our guests.”
Awesome Trail at Joe Wheeler State Park
An EF1 tornado swept through the park on Dec. 16, 2019, downing and uprooting numerous trees and damaging the campground and day-use areas. The marina, cabins, lakeside cottages and golf course escaped tornado damage. Clean-up efforts started immediately after the storm.
Campsites in Campground A rent for $30 per night, plus tax and fees. Reservations can be made by calling the park at (256) 247-1184 or online at alapark.com/joe-wheeler-state-park.
Reservations will be accepted through Oct. 31, but guests must depart by Nov. 1 because a complete renovation of the campground is scheduled towards the end of the year.
The newly renovated campground store will be open with limited supplies, while the lodge, marina, golf course, cabins and cottages remain open. Water access for fishing will be available at the lodge/marina area, and a boat ramp is available at the main launch on First Creek.
“The speed of the repair and renovation work at Joe Wheeler State Park has been impressive, and it maintains Joe Wheeler’s place as one of the top attractions in the Tennessee Valley,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “It’s because of our dedicated staff and selfless volunteers that we are able to yet again provide camping and outdoor recreation at Joe Wheeler campground. The new trail is also a wonderful addition to the park and is a must see for our guests.”
Some of the work at Joe Wheeler was spearheaded by Phil and Shar Roos, volunteers who are full-time RVers and vloggers and who spent about six weeks recently volunteering at the park. They and 13 other volunteers helped renovate the campground store, provided repairs at the Elk River Lodge and built and installed bridges on the new 8-mile trail.
“The new trails are amazing,” Shar Roos said. “We have really loved spending time in this special park and hope the work we’ve done here helps to provide an even more enjoyable experience for park guests in the future.”
The new 8-mile trail – affectionally nicknamed “The Awesome Trail” – runs along a tributary of the Tennessee River and provides visitors with some of north Alabama’s most picturesque woodland scenery. Work on the trail began last summer and visitors began using it last month.
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